Saturday, September 20, 2008

Cocktails Part Deux: the Platinum Caipirito

When my job was developing breakfast cereals for everywhere outside the USA I had the opportunity to travel to many exotic destinations . . . six months into the job I had Platinum Elite status on my first airline, several months later I had it on a second. When not tied to the production line in the factory I tried to soak up the food and culture of wherever I happened to be. This cocktail is an homage to the time I spent in South America, I'm calling it the Platinum Caipirito.

This recipe draws on inspiration from Brazil's caipirinha and Cuba's mojito while using Mexican agave nectar, American oranges (Trader Joe's), and fresh basil from our farmshare (Riverdog Farms).

Muddle basil leaves and agave nectar in high ball glass. Add cachaça and orange juice and stir until nectar and basil are well distributed. Add enough ice to fill the glass.

Brazil's national drink is the caipirinha (roughly translated "little peasant girl"). It's active ingredients are a lime muddled with copious amounts of sugar and a spirit from fermented sugar cane called cachaça--similar to rum--over ice. Near the end of every trip to Brazil my hosts would take me to the grocery store where I'd pick up a couple of bottles . . . the price couldn't be beat at $2 USD each vs. the airport price an order of magnitude higher. While the caipirinha is much too sweet for me, it is one of Lauren's favorites and is a house specialty. Today's cocktail gets its kick from cachaça, but substitutes oranges in place of the limes.

While a traditional mojito uses mint muddled in a sugar syrup with rum, today's cocktail substituted the mint with basil and sugar syrup with agave nectar from Mexico.

The resulting cocktail is a fresh, yet subtle herbal cocktail perfect for the end of summer refreshment!

1 comment:

As I mentioned on the phone, you could be violating brazilian law with your 'Platinum Caipirito'. Hopefully the following link still works ... http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=15080&formato=HTML

The Food Doctors Are In!

We are a couple of married Ph.D. food scientists who think that amazing food moments shouldn't be limited to the holidays. Join us as we explore our passion for food all year long! Got a question about food? Email us at foodspiration@gmail.com